Latest news with #PaulaWhite
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump gathers CEOs for unprecedented faith, economy meeting to renew US 'spiritually and financially'
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will recognize CEOs and business leaders who donate their time to faith-based charitable works and encourage them to continue investing with the White House Faith Office during a luncheon at the White House on Monday. The president and the White House Faith Office are expected to host the luncheon, which will include more than 60 CEOs and business leaders, in the State Dining Room. TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING WHITE HOUSE FAITH OFFICE Founder of Hobby Lobby David Greene, Chairman and CEO of Jockey International, Inc. Debra Waller, Quest Events founder Lee Dunlap, Aethon Energy founder Albert Huddleston, Shoppa's Material Handling founder Jimmy Shoppa and others are expected to attend. The president will be joined by Cabinet secretaries for the event, where he is expected to deliver remarks to thank the business leaders and encourage a continued partnership with the White House Faith Office. White House Faith Office senior advisor Pastor Paula White, Faith Director Jenny Korn, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler will attend the event and also deliver remarks. INSIDE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S WHITE HOUSE FAITH OFFICE The luncheon Monday is the first event of its kind, with White House Faith Office officials telling Fox News Digital that they have invited business leaders who work with faith-based charitable organizations "in a big way domestically and internationally." The president, in his remarks, is expected to explain why the White House Faith Office is so important to his agenda. He will also encourage business leaders to help the Trump administration, specifically on programs concerning foster care and adoption, fatherhood initiatives, poverty alleviation, substance abuse and prisoner reentry. "These are purpose-driven individuals who use their wealth for good in the Earth," the official said. "Faith and Economy come together to Make America Great Again—spiritually and financially." "President Trump is not only making America affordable, prosperous and strong again — he is making our country faith-centered again," Paula White, senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, told Fox News Digital. "CEOs and business leaders who give back their time and treasure is what America is all about." Trump signed an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office in February. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The office empowers faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship "to better serve families and communities," according to the White House. The office is housed under the Domestic Policy Council and consults with experts in the faith community on policy changes to "better align with American values."
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump gathers CEOs for unprecedented faith, economy meeting to renew US 'spiritually and financially'
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will recognize CEOs and business leaders who donate their time to faith-based charitable works and encourage them to continue investing with the White House Faith Office during a luncheon at the White House on Monday. The president and the White House Faith Office are expected to host the luncheon, which will include more than 60 CEOs and business leaders, in the State Dining Room. Founder of Hobby Lobby David Greene, Chairman and CEO of Jockey International, Inc. Debra Waller, Quest Events founder Lee Dunlap, Aethon Energy founder Albert Huddleston, Shoppa's Material Handling founder Jimmy Shoppa and others are expected to attend. The president will be joined by Cabinet secretaries for the event, where he is expected to deliver remarks to thank the business leaders and encourage a continued partnership with the White House Faith Office. White House Faith Office senior advisor Pastor Paula White, Faith Director Jenny Korn, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler will attend the event and also deliver remarks. The luncheon Monday is the first event of its kind, with White House Faith Office officials telling Fox News Digital that they have invited business leaders who work with faith-based charitable organizations "in a big way domestically and internationally." The president, in his remarks, is expected to explain why the White House Faith Office is so important to his agenda. He will also encourage business leaders to help the Trump administration, specifically on programs concerning foster care and adoption, fatherhood initiatives, poverty alleviation, substance abuse and prisoner reentry. "These are purpose-driven individuals who use their wealth for good in the Earth," the official said. "Faith and Economy come together to Make America Great Again—spiritually and financially." "President Trump is not only making America affordable, prosperous and strong again — he is making our country faith-centered again," Paula White, senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, told Fox News Digital. "CEOs and business leaders who give back their time and treasure is what America is all about." Trump signed an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office in February. The office empowers faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship "to better serve families and communities," according to the White House. The office is housed under the Domestic Policy Council and consults with experts in the faith community on policy changes to "better align with American values."
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘Divine dreams' at Trump prayer event
Pastor Paula White (second from left) and other faith leaders pray behind US President Donald Trump during a National Day of Prayer event on May 1. PHOTO: AFP WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump was surrounded by faith leaders calling for him to be given 'divine dreams' in an extraordinary event at the White House on May 1. One man even knelt in front of the 78-year-old Republican for the ceremony in the Rose Garden to mark National Prayer Day. Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other religious leaders then sang 'Amazing Grace' as the thrice-married billionaire signed an executive order establishing a so-called Religious Liberty Commission. Mr Trump has taken on an increasingly religious tone since surviving an assassination attempt in 2024, saying at his inauguration that he had been 'saved by God.' 'We're bringing back religion in our country, and we're bringing it back quickly and strongly,' Mr Trump said. He said God had answered American 'prayers because he's put in an administration to run this country that's going to make you proud again.' The Republican has long had an ambiguous relationship with religion – not least amid a series of sex scandals and a criminal conviction. He also hawked US$60 (S$78.66) Trump-branded Bibles on the campaign trail. But he was hailed at the event in almost messianic terms. 'Supernatural protection' 'Surround him with divine supernatural protection,' said televangelist Paula White, Mr Trump's official spiritual adviser and head of his newly created Faith Office at the White House. Leading a prayer for Mr Trump, Ms White called for a 'spiritual reset' in America, with the 47th president at the helm. 'Grant him wisdom beyond human understanding.... and give him divine dreams, visions,' she said. One member of the audience rose from his seat and fell to one knee in a gesture of prayer before Mr Trump as the president sat at a desk to sign the order. Others raised their hands in the air as they sang. Despite the various scandals that have swirled around him, evangelical Christians continued to back Mr Trump in the 2024 election, just as they did in 2016. Mr Trump thanked them for their support at the event which lasted 90 minutes, held under a blazing sun. He also stressed what he said were his efforts to bring religion back to the White House, including the Faith Office and the creation of an 'anti-Christian bias' task force for the United States – the country with the world's largest Christian population. Mr Trump has adopted a series of positions that have delighted America's religious right, including on abortion and transgender issues. 'They say 'separation between church and state.' I said, 'all right, let's forget about that,'' Mr Trump said. 'You guys are in the White House where you should be.' An attendee kneels in front of the stage as Ms Paula White, senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, leads a prayer next to a sitting US President Donald Trump. PHOTO: REUTERS 'Nonsense' Mr Trump then thanked the swaths of Muslim voters who backed him in the 2024 campaign, swayed by his promise to end the bloodshed in the Middle East. But he drifted off on a tangent, riffing on the idea promoted in some forms of Islamic teachings that martyrs to their cause will receive 72 virgins in Heaven. Talking about meeting imams in Michigan, where there is a large Arab-American population, Mr Trump said: 'I said 'you want to die?' They said 'We don't want to die', I said 'What about 38 virgins?' They say, 'that's nonsense'.' Mr Trump also embarked on a familiar litany of exaggerated or debunked claims, including that he won the 2020 election against Mr Joe Biden – himself a devout Catholic. As people wiped sweat from their brows, Mr Trump then brought a variety of people on stage, including TV host 'Dr Phil' and most of the senior members of his Cabinet. But there was one notable absence from the congregation – National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, whose replacement Mr Trump announced about an hour later, after Mr Waltz was embroiled in a scandal over a chat group leak. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ high school graduation rates rose in 2024, while absenteeism dipped
New Jersey's high school graduation rates ticked up a hair, and student behavior and participation in course offerings are trending upward — a cause for some optimism after years of impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic — according to data from the 2023-24 academic year released by the state Department of Education on Wednesday. But while high school graduation rates are on the rise, and the number of 11th and 12th graders meeting benchmarks in advanced college-level classes has increased, large gaps remain in these areas for low-income and other vulnerable student groups. A slideshow discussing discipline, absenteeism and graduation rates was well received and triggered few questions from the 13-member State Board of Education during a presentation by department presentation did not include test and assessment data, which, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a national test conducted every two years, showed drops in reading proficiency among eighth graders to 38% from 42%. New Jersey ranks higher than other states, but its performance on the NAEP was "objectively lackluster," said Paula White of JerseyCan, a K-12 watchdog organization. New Jersey's four-year high school graduation rate last year was 91.3% — the highest rate since 2011, officials said. The five-year graduation rate was 92.6% and has stayed stable. These numbers are calculated under state guidelines, which include students with Individualized Education Programs who may graduate using requirements that are different from those of general education students. Federal guidelines require graduation calculations to omit students with IEPs. Four-year graduation rates for low-income and multilingual learners have steadily increased since 2011, reaching their highest in 2024, the state said. The four-year graduation rate among economically disadvantaged students in 2024 was 87.1%, up from 86.6% in 2023 and 85.4% the year before. Students whose native language is not English also showed strong growth — with a four-year graduation rate of 78.9% in 2024, up from 73.6% in 2023 and 71.9% in 2022. State officials said they were working to improve career-readiness programs in schools to give graduating seniors training in industry-specific areas, such as information technology, business administration and tourism, for entry into the job market right after school. These programs culminate with a student earning an Industry Valued Credential — a recognized degree, diploma, certificate or certification awarded for an occupation. The state offers 129 credentials in 13 career clusters. Interest in these programs has been on the rise, officials said — about 9,600 students received one or more credentials in 2024, up from 7,600 students the year before. The industry credentialing was the result of a 'close collaboration' with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development and is 'based on where the industry is in New Jersey, so that students coming out of high schools are prepared to go into the workforce right out of high school,' said Kevin Dehmer, the state education commissioner. State news: Six-figure salary needed to buy a home in 30 states. This is how much you'll need in NJ More students took dual enrollment courses for college credit in 2024 than in 2023. The number went up to 26.9% from 24%, or 7,600 more students. Lower-income students had a much smaller participation rate, with 20.2% taking these courses in 2024. Interest in college-level classes — Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate — has remained consistent. New Jersey had the highest percentage nationwide of high schools offering five or more AP courses, at 86.9%, officials said. In the 2023-24 school year, more than 60% of schools had a chronic absenteeism rate higher than 10.6%, compared with 32% of schools in the 2018-19 school year, before the pandemic hit. Chronic absenteeism data refers to students who miss more than 10% of a 180-day school year. This year, the statewide average for the number of students who were chronically absent was 14.9%, compared with 16.7% last year, 18.1% the year before, and 10.6% in 2018-19. Chronic absenteeism spiked after the pandemic and still has not come back to pre-pandemic levels, both nationally and statewide. Superintendents were offered resources at the county level to help develop action plans to address absenteeism over 10%, officials said. The highest absenteeism rates were among homeless, disabled, foster and economically disadvantaged students. Discipline data showed that fewer students received suspensions last year, with the number of in-school suspensions increasing and out-of-school suspensions decreasing. One of the more challenging outcomes of the pandemic was an increase in disruptive behavior in classrooms, as teachers reported higher anxiety among students. This article originally appeared on NJ high school graduation rates rose in 2024, absenteeism dipped
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump signs order to establish White House Faith Office
President Trump signed an executive order Friday to establish a White House Faith Office in an effort to empower faith-based entities. The office will be part of the Domestic Policy Council and headed by a senior adviser tasked with consulting with various faith and community leaders in an effort to defend religious liberty and combat antisemitism, anti-Christianity and other anti-religious bias, according to the order. The president announced the new office at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this week, saying that it would be led by the Rev. Paula White, who has served as a religious adviser to him for years. In the order, Trump directed the office to identify ways to reduce burdens on the free exercise of religion and direct all federal agencies to designate a 'faith liaison' within 90 days. The office inside the White House would coordinate with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Trump earlier this week said would be named the head of a task force to 'eradicate anti-Christian bias.' The office will also advise on policies that can enable faith-based entities, coordinate with other agencies on training and education for faith-based entities to procure grants, and support agencies in development training on religious liberty exceptions and accommodations. Additionally, it will be tasked with consulting with private businesses on charitable giving and payroll deductions while also coordinating with agencies on promoting grant opportunities for nonprofit faith-based entities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
